Perugia editorial team
PERUGIA – “ReUnion 2024 in the Lands of Oil and Sagrantino” is the title of the program of events, created as part of the “Tourism of Roots” project (financed by the tender of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Maeci) of in which, among others, the project proposals of six municipalities of the Unione Terre dell’olio e del Sagrantino were the winners: Bevagna, Castel Ritaldi, Giano dell’Umbria, Gualdo Cattaneo, Massa Martana and Montefalco.
A calendar of activities that will start in all the territories of the Tos Union between June and November 2024 (defined by the Italian State as the year of Italian roots), with the aim of strengthening the bond between Italy and the Italian communities. Umbrian descendants in the world. The details of this new promotional initiative were illustrated on Friday 21 June in Perugia by Elisa Sabbatini (president of the Union of Tos Municipalities), Mariarita Forti (marketing and tourism manager of the Union), in the presence of Donatella Tesei (president of the Region Umbria). Leonardo Romei (coordinator of the Marche and Umbria of the Maeci Italea project) also participated in the meeting.
«A significant result for the Municipalities of the Tos Union – commented Sabbatini –, the result of coordinated planning of interventions to support a unitary tourism strategy».
«The Reunion 2024 events in the Lands of oil and Sagrantino – explained Forti – will propose a format that includes trekking, tastings, experiential activities and music and will be inserted in identity contexts for the individual territories: the Gaite di Bevagna, the Montefalco August for Montefalco, The Land of Fairy Tales and Frantotipico for Castel Ritaldi, MassamARTana Festival for Massa Martana, La Mangiaunta for Giano dell’Umbria, Sapere di pane Sapore di oli for Gualdo Cattaneo».
We start, therefore, in Bevagna with two musical events: the first will be Sunday 23 June at 10 pm in Piazza Filippo Silvestri, and it is the event “Cantica Nova, music the new old and the Gaite Market” organized by Ensemble MusiCanti Potestatis; the second, Saturday 29 June again at 10pm in Piazza Filippo Silvestri, is called “Giullarate all’oggetto Voi ch’ascoltate in rime sparse il sono” by Gianluca Foresi. From Bevagna to Montefalco, on 17 August, with initiatives included in the Montefalco August, to then touch on the other territories of the Tos Union in the following months.
«After the success of the 2023 events included in the rich program of the Festival del Sol – continued Sabbatini –, the Tos Union and the Municipalities that are part of it are once again experimenting with the integrated dimension of territorial promotion activities relating to the entire area”
“Roots Tourism”, of which “Reunion 2024 in the Lands of Oil and Sagrantino” is part, is therefore a tourist offer structured to promote knowledge of the family history and culture of origin of Italians residing abroad and Italian descendants. «I believe it is a significant initiative – commented President Tesei – and the involvement of Maeci is very important, a wonderful opportunity for Italians abroad to reclaim their communities and the territories they left behind. The Tos Union has organized itself in a positive way to promote the return of our fellow citizens abroad to their countries of origin, making them perceive the beauty of a territory in an integrated way.”
This call from Maeci, which is one of the national interventions that uses Pnrr resources to support the recovery of the tourism sector in the post Covid 19 period, was aimed at municipalities with a population of no more than 6 thousand inhabitants and financed 850 projects on the national territory, for a total budget of 4,728,387.80 euros. Of these, 33 thousand euros went to projects in the Tos Union territories. «The drafting of the projects by the Municipalities of the Union – concluded Sabbatini – was supported by Ets Italiaa Umbria, an association of which the Tos Union itself and its Municipalities have joined as partners».
«The Municipalities of the Union present themselves united in the project on Roots Tourism 2024 – explained Forti – and even those that have not benefited from the Maeci financing due to lack of requirements, thanks to the partnership with Ets Italea Umbria, will host the laboratory activities for the tourist returning from abroad”.
«Italea – explained Romei – has the task of facilitating and promoting return trips by compatriots who want to go to their village of origin and rediscover the places, culture and customs of their ancestors. Italea Umbria will coordinate with the local authorities that will manage the Roots Tourism projects financed by Maeci”.
Among the activities promoted by the Italea project, Romei mentioned a portal in multiple languages that will act as a link with Italians abroad, tourist guides relating to all regions, therefore also Umbria, and a card that allows tourists to have facilitations through agreements with local partners.
